Flushing outfit for closets.



No. 787,833. PATENTED APR. 18, 1905. T. P; ORARY.

FLUSHING OUTFIT FOR OLOSETS.

APPLIOATION FILED 001.217, 1904.

Invanhr N1 [masses QWaQ- L W% UNITED STATES Patented April 18, 190-.

PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS F. CRARY, OF BIII'HHJFPORI. OHIO. ASSIGNOR TO SILAS \V. LOLLER, OF MGORACKEU, PENNSYLVANIA.

FLUSHING OUTFIT FOR CLOSETS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 787,833, dated April 18, 1905.

Application filed October 17, 1904. Serial No. 228,867.

Be it known that I, Tuouas F. Guam, a citizen of the United States, residing at Middleport, Meigs county, State of Ohio, have init relates more particularly to such outfits which have a storage-tank and are using water under pressure, such as is derived from the service-pipes of a waterworks system, the supply to the tank being automatic.

The invention consists of the construction in general and in detail, as hereinafter described and claimed and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l shows the outfit in vertical section, the valve forming part of it being in its normal that is, closed position. Fig. 2 shows the same parts with the valve in open position. Fig. 3 in a similar view shows the operating parts in an intermediate position. Fig. t is a top view of the outfit with parts broken away and the valved-musing shown in horizontal section. Fig. 5 shows in a front view, at reduced scale, the outfit as it appears when-arranged in combination with a closet.

8 indicates a closet-bowl with seat 9 attached and connected to a flush-pipe 10 in the usual manner. This pipe communicates also with a tank 11, in which the water for flushing is stored, and which tank is supplied by a pipe 12, which may be on the line of a general service-pipe system. Such supply being under pressure requires a tank constructed and arranged accordingly as to the admission and retention of the water. It is preferably of metal and provided with a cap l3, held in place by a screw connection. Communication between tank and closet is controlled by v a valve H, fitted to a seat provided within a valvc-housing15, wluch latter is in open communication with flush-pipe IQ and tank 11.

[ Communication with this latter is by means of a neck 16, consisting of two complementary nipples provided with flanges 17, whereby tank and valve-housing are connected to each other.

(,lommunication between tank 11 and supply-pipe 12 is always open, the water being held in the tank ready for flushing by valve 14:, before mentioned, and which is normally closed. Opening of this valve for a flush causes also a float 18, which had been lifted by the rising water after the preceding flush and held so, to drop with the now receding water and permits an air-valve 19 to drop away from its seat 21, thus admitting the air necessary to vent the tank. This air-valve is provided with a stem 22, which is fitted into a plug 23, the lit being merely sufficient to guide the valve to its seat, but not so close as to exclude the air. When dropped, the valve rests on this plug and its stem protrudes below, so that when the rising water lifts the float this latter may strike the stem and raise the valve to its seat. This latter is formed within a globular housing A, into which plug 23 screws from below. The housing is atlixed to cap 13 of the tank. The air is admitted to this housing above the valve-seat through an opening Any possible leakage in case the apparatus does not work properly is taken care of by a drain-pipe 26 and conducted by it into the closet-bowl. The upper end of the drain-pipe is open to the atmosphere and enlarged to receive the end of another pipe, 2'7, which communicates with housing 2%, preferably at the air-inlet opening. Float 18 is [itted into tank 11 so as to move freely therein and conform to the sectional shape thereof, which in this case is cylindrical. Accordingly said float is a cylinder with its upper end closed.

Valve 14 is a plain disk valve and is opened by means of a lever-ha1nlle mounted on a rock-shaft 29, which is seated in a bearing 31, formed in the downwardly-extended part of valve-housing 15. \Yithin this latter there is an arm 32, mounted on this rock-shaft and connected with its free end to a link 33. This link is p1votally omted to a stem 34:,

passing through valve 14 and fitted for guidance into a neck 35, projecting from the under side of valve 14. On the upper side of this latter there is formed a valve-seat for a small auxiliary or starting valve 36. When the lever-handle is operated, this little valve is opened first, (see Fig. 3,) and main val e 14 does not open until a projection 37 on link 33 or on the lower end of stem 34 comes in contact with the lower end of neck 35 on said valve. The eflect of this limited opening is a preliminary passage of water through neck 35, there being sufficient space to permit such between this neck and stem 34, which latter is only loosely fitted and may also be longitudinally grooved for such purpose. This water comes through the hollow stem 38, which forms also a valve-chamber for starting-valve 36, it having entered this chamber through the hollow guide 39, onto which this hollow stem 38 is fitted. This hollow guide depends from cap 40, which closes the upper end of the combined chamber structure. The water passes into this hollow guide through a larger port 41 and a smaller one, 42, farther up, and is contained in a supplementary chamber 43, being an upper extension of valve-chamber 15. These two chambers are normally separated by a diaphragm 44, seated at the junction of the chambers. The separation is, however, not a complete one, but is limited by a port 45 in the diaphragm, so that under normal conditions, as shown in Fig. 1, the water from tank 11 may pass through this port 45 into upper chamber 43 and through ports 41 and 42 into hollow guide 39 and through it into hollow stem 38, which also constitutes the valvechamber for starting valve 36. This hollow guide depends from a cap 40. From this latter chamber the preliminary dis charge takes place, as described before, when auxiliary valve 36 is opened, as shown in Fig. 3. The continued manipulation of lever-handle 28 finally opens also the main valve 14, as shown in Fig. 2. This manipulation need not necessarily be also a continued manual one as far as the user is concerned, since the lever-handle as soon as past its center will drop over without further assistance. This easy manipulation and opening is due to the fact that the resistance of the water confined above diaphragm 44 in chamber 43 is removed by the escape of such water through hollow members 39 and 38 as soon as released by the preliminary opening of small valve 36. Furthermore, the pressure of the water against the under side of diaphragm 44 offsets the pressure on top of valve 14, so that this latter becomes now practically balanced. The contents of the tank in passing out now more rapidly cause presently a dropping of the water-level and with it a dropping of float 18. The first effect of this drop is the release and dropping of air-valve 19, whereby the tank is vented, followed at once by a rapid and co pious flush. The float in sinking with the receding water-level encounters in due time the upper end of a push-rod 46, fitted into guiding means 47 and having its lower part bent so as to extend over the edge of valve 14. While this latter had been raised for opening, this rod was also lifted, so that as soon as the sinking float comes in contact with it the same will be pushed down, and thereby depresses valve 14. The closing of this valve will be assisted by the weight of the lever-handle as soon as it has passed over its center. It will be noted that this closing proceeds automatically, so that any inattention or carelessness in manipulation will not lead to waste of water.

It is clear that while the valve is open water from the general supply through pipe 12 will be added to the flush-water stored in the tank and passing therefrom. Therefore by increasing the length of time during which the valve remains open beyond the time necessary for the mere opening and immediate closing following thereafter a sufiiciency of flush will be obtained corresponding to this extended time. This increase in duration of time between the opening and closing movements of the valve is due to diaphragm 44, which retards any quick movement of the main valve in either direction. It prevents the quick opening by reason of the water confined above it in chamber 43, which must be displaced first and is done by retarding this displacement by limiting the escape of the water by confining such escape to passages greatly reduced with reference to the area of diaphragm 44. These passages are through the space around theedge of this diaphragm, since this latter in order to avoid friction and to prevent interference with the free movement of the mechanism does not fit tight into chamber 43. Another passage takes place through the small port 42, the larger port 41 being closed at once during the first part of the opening movement of the valve. The latter part of the closing movement of the valve is likewise retarded and cannot proceed any faster than the vacuum which the descending hollow member 38 tends to produce is filled with water, which latter again must pass in through port 42. By adjusting the size of a passage through this port by means of an adjusting-screw 48 the time during which valve 14 remains open, and consequently the quantity of flush-water, may also be adjusted. This screw is seated in cap 40, which closes the upper valve-chamber and is accessible from the outside.

Having described my invention, I claim as new 1. In a flushing outfit for water-closets, the combination of a storage-tank, a float fitted inside so as to rise and fall with the waterlevel, a flush-pipe in communication with the tank, a valve controlling this communication, means to open this valve and a push-rod supported so as to be raised by this opening of litted into this latter so as to be free to rise or 1 fall with the water-level as the same moves therein so that when rising it closes the air- 5 valve by acting on the stem thereof and when l descending it opens this latter and thereafter closes the valve mentioned by acting on the push-rod described.

3. In a flushing outlit for water-closets, the combination of a storage-tank, a valve-housing and a flush-pipe, all arranged as shown, a main flush-valve controlling passage through the flush-pipe, a hollow valve-stem rising from the upper side of this valve, an auxiliary starting-valve titted into this latter and surrounded by the hollow valve-stem which forms a valvechamber therefor, a hollow valve-guide for this stem, both fitted for telescopic engagement with each other, openings whereby these hollow members are placed in open communication with the storage-tank and means for operating the valves, the engagement of these means being such that in their manipulation for opening, the starting-valve is opened first, permitting a preliminary discharge from the main tank through the hollow valve-stem and its hollow guide.

4. In a flushing outlit for water-closets, the combination of a storage-tank, a valve-housing and a flush-pipe all arranged as shown, a main flush-valve-controlling passage through the flush-pipe, a hollow valve-stem rising from the upper side of this valve, an auxiliary startingvalve titted into this latter and surrounded by the hollow valve-stem which forms a valveehamber therefor, a hollow valve-guide for this stem, both litted for telescopic engagement with each other, a port near this upper end of the hollow valve-guide whereby this latter and the hollow valve-stem are placed in open communication with the storage-tank, means for adjusting the size of the passage through this port and mechanism for manipulating the valves, the operation being such that in opening, the starting-valve precedes the main valve, thereby permitting a preliminary discharge through the flush-pipe.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set mysignature in the presence of two witnesses.

'lllOh'lAS 11. CRARY.

'itnesses:

J. B. DOWNING, J12, M. R. l)()WNING. 

